The Electoral College is a wonderful institution for federalism and democracy

"As it stands, presidential candidates are trying to appeal to the median voter in each state across a large number of states. That's how you get to be president. This reduces regional tensions because candidates are never trying to get 90% of the votes in a state."

He makes essentially the same point - in a federation you want consensus across the states, not just across the people. The one reform I'd support is giving electoral votes for each member of the House, not doing this House plus Senate thing that makes someone from Wyoming get a stronger vote for president than a Texan. But the winner take all nature of it - the insistence that Virginians get together and decide democratically who the commonwealth of Virginia will back - is very important.

Does any other country do it like this? I for one think the Electoral College was a stroke of brilliance on the part of the founders (not their only stroke of brilliance, of course).